Thursday, July 09, 2009

Dr. Wes Goes to Washington

I for one want to hear what the physicians have to say and really, that's about the only group I want to hear from. It is beyond comprehension how people can condemn doctors/providers for health care costing too much. It makes me so mad - it is the best case of brainwashing I've ever seen and it would do us well to track that sentiment back to those who stand to gain the most from spreading such lies.

We are lucky to have the talented souls who go to work each and every day knowing the tape they have to work around and we need to stop now and listen to what they suggest. There is too many unnecessary layers between me and my providers, too much between me knowing how much something will cost so I can plan ahead, too many back room deals between unaffected players that help those who don't need it and hurt the ones that are dying for help.

While reading your post, I got this picture in my mind of like, all the great doctors in our country with their nose to the grindstone, doin' their thing, working their magic, not having the time to 'make deals' like power groups have time to - like you said, they are being the entrepreneurs, the innovators, the individuals who are healers and kind souls who set out on a mission to help people live their lives a little better than the day before. All the while, those who are not intrinsic to the provider/patient relationship are spending their time buying political capital. The individual-ness of doctors is what makes medicine in our country so great - your minds are free to work! No associations required, just more volume please!

Jessica, now's your chance to hear some doctors.

Dr. Wes will stop blogging briefly to participate in a press conference next week entitled "Putting Patients First", to be held at the National Press Club in Washington on 17 July 2009 from 9AM-12 noon EST.

Dr. Val Jones (of the blog "Better Health") has graciously invited me to participate along with other nurse, nurse practitioner and physician bloggers to discuss issues of health care reform that directly affect doctor/patient relationship from an "Outside the Beltway" perspective. The keynote speaker for the event will be Congressman Paul Ryan, (R-Wisconsin), ranking member, House Budget Committee and the moderator will be Rea Blakey, Emmy award-winning health reporter and news anchor, previously with ABC, CNN, and now with Discovery Health.

Rich Fogoros, M.D., Cardiologist (and yes, another Cardiac Electrophysiologist) and author of The Covert Rationing Blog And Fixing American HealthcareJim Herndon, M.D., past president of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and Better Health contributor

Better yet, you're also welcome to attend in-person. (Contact john.briley@getbetterhealth.com if they'd like to be in the audience. Seating is limited in the broadcast studio.) A video of highlights from the event will be created that I hope to embed in this blog or will link to after the event.

About Me

Westby G. Fisher, MD, FACC is a board certified internist, cardiologist, and cardiac electrophysiologist (doctor specializing in heart rhythm disorders) practicing at NorthShore University HealthSystem in Evanston, IL, USA and is a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Medicine. He entered the blog-o-sphere in November, 2005.
DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed in this blog are strictly the those of the author(s) and should not be construed as the opinion(s) or policy(ies) of NorthShore University HealthSystem, nor recommendations for your care or anyone else's. Please seek professional guidance instead.